Thursday, April 3, 2014

The Secret To Joy

17 When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully
reported to him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!”

Have there ever been times when you experienced great joy?
Have you ever wondered how to have more joy in your life? I believe that the
answer to this question is found in our reading today.

I see a lot of depression today in the lives of people. I
also notice that there are so many in the body of Christ that are discouraged
& discontented. Why is it that Christians are losing their joy? What is it
that robs so many of the joy that Christ offers so freely? I believe that the
answer is that so many people have stopped serving in the kingdom. The moment
we stop serving is the moment that joy starts to die.

The answer is so simple, yet it is one that many people
fight tooth & nail. They refuse to believe that it could be this simple.
Sometimes, they have become so calloused that they don’t even realize how much
of a sour puss they have really become.

It is so easy to blame others for what I lacking in our own
individual lives. We say things like:

1.It’s my wife’s fault I don’t have joy. She never
stops nagging.

2.It’s my bosses fault I don’t have joy. He is to
demanding.

3.It’s is my kids fault. They always stress me
out.

4.If my health was better I would have something
to be joyful about.

5.It’s God’s fault. He is so unfair to me.

All of these excuses are really LIES that we have
chosen to believe. They are lies that come from satan. When we agree with them
we give power & place to them. The truth is that joy comes as
we serve in the kingdom of God.

Look at our text for a moment. Jesus had just sent the
disciples out to do the work of the kingdom. He commissioned them & they
went. He anointed them for what He commissioned them to do. They went & did
it. In doing it they were filled with joy. WHY???

·Joy is a by-product of the Holy Spirit in our
lives. It is the fruit that He produces when we are walking in the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23

22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit
in our lives: love, joy,peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness,23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law
against these things!

Did you see that? The Holy Spirit produces joy in our lives.
It comes as a result of us walking in the Spirit.

As the disciples were out doing ministry, they were
empowered by the Holy Spirit. They yielded to Him. He was working through them.
As He worked through them He produced joy in them. It was such a joy that the
bible calls it an “over-flowing joy”.

Luke 10:17

17 When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him,
“Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!”

That choice of word shows us that joy was running over. They
were full of joy. This was not a joy that the world knows. It is not a joy that
the world can even offer. It is a joy that can only come from use serving in
the kingdom as the Spirit empowers us.

Think about a time in your life as a Christian when you had
the most joy? Now what you will find to be true across the board is that it was
a time when you were serving in the kingdom. God was using you. You were
yielding to His Spirit. As a result, He produced joy in you.

For whatever reason, many along the way have stopped
serving. Maybe they got offended. Maybe they started to think that people
didn’t appreciate what they were doing. Maybe they didn’t like the leader.
Maybe they thought it was somebody else’s turn for a change. All of these come
from the deceiver of your soul who wants to

Nehemiah 8:10

10 And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a
feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who
have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected
and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”

It is time for many of you to get back into the game. You
have been sitting on the side lines far too long & your lack of joy shows
it. Here are some things that you can do ASAP to get back in the game & get
your joy back.

1.Ask your pastor what you can do to help him. NOTE:Be prepared to catch him because he will
probably faint when he hears you ask that question.

2.Just do whatever needs to be done. Don’t have
the “I’m too qualified for that” attitude.

3.Help with the kids at church, drive a van route,
etc..

4.Do what others are not willing to do so you can
have what others don’t have.

5.Start visiting people who haven’t been to church
in a while. NOTE:Don’t get into
negative talk with them during your visits. Always pull it back to the great
things that God is doing in your church.

6.Start praying for sick people. Get a list from
your church & go get them healed.

7.Start sharing your faith with people that you
don’t live with. YES, THAT MEANS STRANGERS!!!

Bottom line is this:Be
a light where you are. God has you right where He wants you. Be faithful where
you are & you will be entrusted with more. This may not seem like that deep
of a revelation BUT I assure you that it will lead to greater measures of joy
in your life.

3 comments:

Covering and explaining the bible has been and is a great blessing for my seedling spirit. I prayrd for god to help me and he sent me to this church and each day i learn to love and grow in his word that i may help my fellow man without judgement and a humble spirit filled with the lord